Effect of whole body cryotherapy on physiological variables in soccer players

Abstract

Introduction: Cryotherapy is the set of procedures to produce a cooling of the body for therapeutic purposes. However, there is limited data on its effect on physiological variables in athletes. Objective: To assess the effect of whole body cryotherapy on various physiological variables in Mexican healthy soccer players. Methods: Experimental, randomized, parallel group study. Athletes were divided into 2 groups: an intervention group received 10 sessions of whole body cryotherapy in 2 weeks and a control group. Each session of whole body cryotherapy consisted of remaining for 3 min in a cryotherapy chamber (-110 °C). Cardiovascular physiological variables, range of motion of the posterior muscle chain, anthropometric, stress and emotional consistency were measured at baseline. At the end of the 10 sessions, the same variables were evaluated. Results: Nineteen soccer players were included in the study, 10 of whom received the whole body cryotherapy and nine controls participants. After 10 sessions of whole body cryotherapy, no significant changes were observed in the electrocardiogram, blood, anthropometric, stress level and emotional coherence variables. There were little changes in some variables such as heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and state of stress (p < 0.05). No effect of the whole body cryotherapy on the flexibility of the posterior muscle chain (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Application of whole body cryotherapy in high-performance soccer players produced little changes in different physiological variables, either acutely or chronically.